I came with an outline and questions...by the end I had a completed pilot.

Liz Hara

Alumni Testimonials

NB: PageCraft was Michelangelo Screenwriting until September 2014.

TESTIMONIALS

“Michelangelo Screenwriting Retreat was so good, I’m already planning to go again. The setting was incredible and then to have two weeks to work on a creative project, meet other writers, and help each other under the guidance of a seasoned industry writer, was magic. I can’t recommend it enough. It was the perfect creative getaway.”— Ally Kornfeld, New York (2013 Retreat in Orvieto, Italy)

“I loved every moment… I came with an outline and a lot of questions, and by the end of the two weeks I had a completed one-hour pilot episode and a clear idea of what I wanted the entire project to look like. I loved how well our group collaborated; I got real experience breaking stories and brainstorming with other writers. Even though people had different levels of experience, we were all able to work together, and the individual attention and feedback we received allowed us to develop our projects at our own pace. Heidi, Carlo, and Ben gave incredible feedback without being prescriptive. We all had some wonderful dinners, beautiful morning walks, and more gelato than is advisable.”— Elizabeth Hara, New York (2013 Retreat in Orvieto, Italy)

“My time in Michelangelo far exceeded my expectations… I immediately became part of a welcoming, tight knit group that functioned as support network, fountains of inspiration, late night muses, and brilliant people that have remained a constant. Neil gave me the tools and confidence to embark on the next step of my writing journey, and I’m infinitely happier with the improvements in my writing. This isn’t just a writing course, it’s a life lesson.”— Aisling Corristine, Ireland (2011 Retreat near Cortona, Italy)

“Having thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Heidi (via script reports and Skype calls) on a previous script, for a paranormal romantic comedy, I had high expectations for her screenwriters retreat. These expectations were soon met and then quickly surpassed! Arriving in beautiful Orvieto with a 115-page script for a romantic action adventure, and returning with a 14-page outline, might seem like an odd form of progress, especially when everyone else is heading in the opposite direction, but with Heidi’s expert and enthusiastic guidance, I was able to create a much stronger story, and then turn that into an exciting new script. I learnt a lot in Orvieto and had great fun doing so. ‘Ottimo!’ as they say in Italy – when they mean ‘Excellent!’”
— Michael Davies, Bristol, UK (2017 Retreat in Orvieto, Italy)

“Michelangelo was an adventure like none other. The location is breathtaking and the workshop is set up to accommodate all writing/working styles. You can stick to the villa and find a new nook or corner to write in every day, or go into town and settle into a cafe. The time is structured but also flexible, offering plenty of instruction and workshop time… Our workshop could not have been more perfect—a great group of supportive writers with the expertise and encouragement of Neil Landau at the helm. We worked hard, we played hard, and six months later I still wake up wishing I was going to see everyone over coffee and Nutella.”— Lisa Seipel, Los Angeles (2011 Retreat near Cortona, Italy)

“The two weeks in Orvieto were magical. Within a day it felt like we were all meant to be on this adventure together. The classes were both productive and fun, the workload meaningful but manageable. The teacher, Ben Blacker, was extremely quick, perceptive, and decisive—offering great guidance re: material, story structure, and tone. In my case, it became clear that what I thought was a pretty polished screenplay in fact needed re-working not just in structure, but that I also needed to shorten and focus scenes, and give major characters more depth. Carlo, Heidi, and my fellow students all pitched in with further valuable insights.”— Bill Abelson, Seattle (2013 Retreat in Orvieto, Italy)

“I came ambivalent about my screenwriting career, looking for an escape from the frenetic living in LA. I left the villa inspired to pursue writing full time, enchanted by the sights, sounds, tastes, and people I befriended in the Italian countryside.”— Chris Hanson, Los Angeles (2011 Retreat near Cortona, Italy)

“…incredibly rigorous and creative. The professional level of peer review and the private office hours available with Paul [Chitlik] put the focus on wrangling a first draft into a saleable second. I attended in 2008 and 2009, and…produced two second drafts in entirely different genres, both of which got intensive story notes, scenework inspiration and simplification that turned two first draft haystacks into fully realized scripts. It is an unbelievably worthwhile experience.”— Annie LaBarba, New York (2008 & 2009 Retreats near Cortona, Italy)

“No matter how hustle-bustle your life is before you depart, by day two…distractions fade far, far away. Your inspiration returns, self-doubt dissipates and you get lost in the rhythm of writing, eating, conversing and walking through the hillsides…. And if ever you falter in your creative vision, your fellow writers and professor will take the time to sit you down, dust you off, and help get you back on track. By the end, you’ll realize that this investment in you was well worth it.”— Lisa Caruso, Los Angeles (2009 Retreat near Cortona, Italy/2014 Retreat in Orvieto, Italy)